BOSTON -- Sitting in St. Petersburg, Fla., following a bullpen implosion and a 6-4 season-opening loss to the Rays on March 29, Red Sox manager Alex Cora's new role hit him.

Joe Kelly and Carson Smith had allowed six eighth-inning runs, blowing a 4-0 Red Sox lead on Opening Day and causing Cora to hear it from Red Sox fans for the first time.

"Everybody was going nuts," Cora said. "'The bullpen melted down.' 'This bullpen isn't going to work.' 'He can't handle his bullpen.' ... It's Game 1. It was challenging, but it was eye-opening. It was real. The madness was real."

Cora, who has led the Red Sox to a 66-29 record thus far in his first season at the helm, said the Opening Day loss (and reaction thereafter) has been the most challenging moment in an otherwise smooth-sailing season. He decided to make some adjustments, focusing less on outside noise and more on things under his control.

Cora's first half-season as Red Sox manager has been marked by an evolving process of deciding which voices and resources to actively use -- as well as which to tune out. One of only a handful of MLB managers who are active on social media, Cora has stopped engaging in conversations like he once did, instead surfing Twitter for information that could help him. He's developed close relationships with his coaching staff, the front office and the analytical department while surrounding himself with resources that provide useful input.

Analytics have been an especially crucial part of Cora's first year, coming on the heels of a season spent as the bench coach for the analytically minded Astros. Because the use of sabermetrics was not as advanced as it is today during Cora's playing career, he used his year in Houston as a crash seminar.

"There have been a few games that we've won because of the information," Cora said. "Without that information, it's really tough to win at this level. From pitch recommendations to defensive alignments to who we'll start in Game 4 of 5 (in a playoff series) because of the lineup we're facing... everything counts. Their information is very valuable for us."

The flow of information is not a one-way street for Cora, who actively studies other opponents in his time off.

"On an off day, when the kids are sleeping, I tune in and watch games and highlight shows," Cora said. "I'd rather do that than watch a movie at home. I know what's going on and I like it. I have passion for the game because I'm a fan. If I'm home and something happens, I text (advance scouts and front office members) saying, 'hey, this happened. Take a look at this.'"

Cora rarely tweets these days, usually logging on to communicate with followers in his homeland of Puerto Rico or to take a playful jab at a friend. He uses Twitter not as a place to find personal feedback, but rather a go-to spot for helpful information. He has even come to trust some fans.

"It's eye-opening sometimes," Cora said. "There's a lot of smart people behind these accounts. They're baseball fans and they share information. That's what I do. It helps me. People think I'm joking, but it really does."

Cora's search for input includes seeking out his players, who he spends as much time with as possible. Cora, who was recently dubbed by first baseman Mitch Moreland as "the 26th player" in the clubhouse, uses his strong relationships with players as another source of input.

With older veterans Dustin Pedroia (injury rehab) and Hanley Ramirez (released) not spending as much time around the team as expected, the Red Sox have relied on others to step up as leaders. Two players-- J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts-- have stepped up as the club's leaders, according to Cora.

"We challenged a few guys to be vocal. I'm a big believer that regardless of time (spent in the majors), your opinion might change a game or change a season," Cora said. "It happened with Alex (Bregman) last season. Alex was in his first full season and he's a guy that knows baseball. Why should he be quiet in the clubhouse when his input can change a game? Regardless of if you have 11-and-a-half years here or one day, it's an open space out there. You can contribute. There's no boundaries here as far as that."

Even the youngest member of the Red Sox, third baseman Rafael Devers, has the opportunity to be vocal and lead his teammates despite having less than a year in the majors.

"We have a third baseman who is 21 years old," Cora said. "If he recognizes something that we're not doing well, he has the green light to let us know. At the end of the day, he's going to help us be better."

Cora's focus on adjustments, both for himself and his players, has been evident all season. Martinez acts as a third hitting coach for many younger players while starters Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and David Price have taken young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez under their collective wing. Those adjustments have led to a club that's 36 games above .500 and what will almost certainly be Cora's second straight trip to the postseason as a major-league coach.

Cora's lack of losing over the last two years makes it easy to wonder how the first-year manager will handle adversity, when it unfortunately and inevitably comes. He points to a loss just 16 months ago, when Puerto Rico lost to the United States in the World Baseball Classic with Cora as general manager, as a very impactful moment.

"For everything that people think I've had on my plate, to be the general manager of my national team... it's a huge deal," Cora said. "That was a team with high expectations. The goal was to win a gold medal. For as great as it was, that last game was a huge disappointment. I had to move on."

Cora got back to work quickly with Houston in a season so successful that he had five teams contact him about manager jobs after the season. In addition to the Red Sox, Cora interviewed with the Tigers and Mets while telling two other teams (likely the Nationals and Phillies) he was not interested in interviewing due his negotiations with Boston.

Cora has taken to Boston, and the players to Cora. He seems to have re-energized a talented bunch, keeping things loose by encouraging dress-up themes for road trips and spending time in the clubhouse watching the World Cup with players in recent weeks.

"I promised myself after I managed winter ball a few years ago... I was very uptight and very tough with the guys," Cora said. "Managing the game and all that stuff, that was good. But I didn't have fun. It wasn't fun for me. I promised myself whenever I got a managerial job that I was gonna enjoy it. If I'm not having fun, I'd make it miserable for everybody."

"Everyday I come here... look at this," Cora said, pointing to the field at Fenway Park. "This is my office. I'm lucky, so why not enjoy it?"